


Go over 25 mph and you'll get a speeding ticket (Maybe my heart too)

by ElleKing27



Category: IZONE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Police, But at the same time its a, Chaewon is just a bit desperate, Cop!Minjoo, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Minjoo is really just confused most of the time, just pure fluff, only tiny bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 17:04:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18642370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElleKing27/pseuds/ElleKing27
Summary: "This is my way of rebelling against him.""By going to jail?” You ask her incredulously.You wonder if God is playing tricks on you or something. Today, you come to work expecting a lot of things. Expecting things to be the same ole job with the same ole people. You didn't expect you would end the day with a brand-new position and a new girlfriend to boot. Well, fake girlfriend.OrMinjoo and Chaewon throughout their relationship.





	1. You want to go to what now?

**Author's Note:**

> I can believe I managed to write all of this in 12 hours or so
> 
> By the way, slight trigger warning. There are some strong words used here (homophobic slurs). so, proceed with caution. 
> 
> Follow me on twitter! @cheesyisthyname

It was another day. Another part of the neighborhood to patrol. It was the usual gig. Until it wasn't.

You showed up to work only to be reassigned from your fixed area to another one. The massive houses and perfectly immaculate cut lawns of the bourgeoisie. You tried to keep your massive sigh in check as you listen to your chief. Someone had received a promotion or moved to another branch—whatever, you weren't listening. At this point, you were more worried about how to convince rich entitled people that maybe, just maybe, they had committed a misdemeanor.

You were tempted to just turn a blind eye. Because really, it would be easier to make a wall move than talk to those stubborn bastards and bitches and whatever gender-neutral term for assholes—hey, you don't discriminate. But your strong sense of justice and the fact that your dad will be rolling in his grave if he knew, you settled on hoping no one would be stupid enough to commit a crime near you.

You also hoped that some entitled rich kid wouldn't be suing you for giving them a ticket. You know how notorious they are with the speeding limit. Then again, you think that they won't care about a speeding ticket with how much money they have. Pay a fine here and they'll be back on their merry way.

Yeah, okay. So, maybe being reassigned to that neighborhood wasn't as bad as you thought. Maybe you'll hear a few sexist remarks from old men that stink of cologne the price of your apartment, but you always hear it anyway—being a female cop has its downsides. But you think, all in all, you can handle it. It won't be a problem. So, when Chief Haseul asked you if you're okay with the situation, you smiled and gave her a reassuring nod.

(God bless Chief Haseul. You think you would be far worse off if it wasn't for her. She has to be one of the kindest police chiefs out there. You're half convinced that she's an angel in disguise.)

Now, just a day into the new job—well, the same job, but different area—you already want to beg the Chief to let you go back to your previous neighborhood. All just because of this girl in front of you.

Earlier, you had caught her going over the speed limit. If she was like 2 miles over it, you would've let her go. After all, you do understand the need to get somewhere quickly, especially if you're in a hurry. Plus, the law allows that much of a wiggle room anyway. But no, this girl was almost double the speed limit and driving so haphazardly that you think it's a miracle she hasn't crashed yet.

Being the good cop that you are, you stop her. But you're starting to regret your choices a little because this girl in front of you right now is a bit crazy you think. If not downright delirious.

"I'm sorry, you want what now?"

"Did you not hear me?” She rolls her eyes at you. Her whole face contorted into annoyance like she didn't just ask you to do something ridiculous. "Put me into jail. Clearly, I violated more than one street regulation."

Certainly, she did do more than just go over the speed limit. For one she's not wearing her seatbelt. As far as you can remember, a person can go to jail for that. You don't think it'll go further than a day or two though. Maybe a week at worst. You're more concerned over the wellbeing of her mind though. What sane person would want to go to jail? Don't people—you know— _avoid_ doing such things? And this girl is deliberately doing shit like this to go there? You have many questions.

"Ma'am, can I ask you to step out of your car?” You say as you step back from her car. A white Mercedes by the way. Which probably costs more than your life savings. You hear her mutter a 'finally' and you're starting to question her sanity even more and more.

“So? Am I going to get arrested now? How long do I have to spend time in jail?” She says it impatiently that you wonder if she's actually excited at the prospect of going to jail. Is she high or what?

"Ma'am, have you been drinking at all today? Or are you high? Did you smoke some weed? While it may be legal—"

"Do I look like any of those incomprehensible idiots to you?” She asks you with a scoff.

You don't know what to think of her. While you don't see the red eyes nor the blushed face or the usual slurred tone of drunkards—unless she's _that_ good at hiding it—you don't think she's complete of sound mind either. But thinking that someone is crazy just from a few minutes of interaction isn't fair, so, you guess that she has a reason for wanting to go to jail. Whatever the reason may be.

"Perhaps not, but I certainly haven't met someone who's so willing to go to jail before," you amusedly say before taking out a notepad and a pen. You still need to give her a ticket. You have half a mind to ask her if she's okay, but you decide to respect her privacy. You shouldn't pry into things that are not your business.

"Well, I can assure you that I am not," she huffs. "The only thing I did today was eat ice cream this morning."

"It's... almost five, Ma'am.” You worriedly glance at her before going back to writing her ticket.

"Yes, I know it's five. What? Are you going to lecture me on how ice cream is bad for me too?” She grumbles, and you can't help but think of a whining child. It's cute. It's like watching a kitten trying to be a lion.

"It is though. Plus, you haven't eaten in hours according to yourself.” You stop writing for a moment. "Ma'am, can I please see your ID?"

She gives it to you with little fuss. Kim Chaewon. She looks a few years younger in the photo, but she looks just as pretty. You catch your thoughts and subtly shake your head. That was a bit inappropriate. You quickly write down the remainder of the ticket before ripping it off. You give it to her with a charming smile on your face and hope she'll stop trying to go to jail.

"Here's your ticket, Ma'am. And please use your seatbelt. For your own safety and of others."

"Yeah, yeah.” She quickly takes the ticket from you. "Wait, does this mean I'm not going to jail? I didn't use my seatbelt though."

"While, yes, you can go to jail for that. I have decided that giving you a fine would be sufficient," you kindly explain to her before walking away to your car. "Have a good evening, Ma'am!"

"Wait!” She quickly exclaims as she grabs on to your arms. "Can you please reconsider it?"

"Uh, reconsider what?"

"Not putting me into jail!"

Now, at this point, you're looking at her like a crazy woman. You try to not judge her that much, but it's really getting hard for you to not do so. You turn your body back around to face her and gently take her hands off of your arm. You're starting to not give a shit about respecting privacy when she's practically begging you to throw her into jail.

"Is there a reason _why_ you want to go to jail so badly?" Furrowing your eyebrows, you ask her the question in concern.

"Nothing! I just wanted to know how it's like in there!” She laughs nervously and you think there's a blush on her face too. She's acting way too suspicious for it to be just nothing.

"Right, cause all the cool kids want to see the inside of a jail cell," you sarcastically say as you squint your eyes at her.

"Ugh, fine. That wasn't my best lie I'll admit that.” She pouts and crosses her arms. And really, you shouldn't be thinking that a criminal is cute when you're a cop. Okay, well, criminal is a strong word, but you think it's the appropriate word considering how criminally cute—and how hot—she looks.

“So?"

"There's a party tonight," she simply says.

"Okay, and?"

" _And_ my father is hosting it. Which means it's going to be filled by old men and a shit ton of suitors that I know he's going to try and set me up with. I'm gay for fuck's sake. But _no_ , he just doesn't listen, does he?” She complains, and you can see how frustrated she is from how red her face becomes. Not to mention the impatient tapping of her foot against the concrete.

"That sucks. My mother also keeps trying to set me up with boys despite my obvious lack of excitement.” You roll your eyes in remembrance. Only to snap yourself back into the present after a few moments of grimacing. "Anyway, what does that have to do with going to jail?"

"Because my father has been doing this for all my life. Just because I'm going to inherit the company doesn't mean that I need to every single aspect of my life to be 'advised' by him. And I am frankly getting tired of it. This is my way of rebelling against him."

"By going to jail?” You ask her incredulously.

"It was either that or getting a girlfriend. But I can't exactly do that in the span of twenty-four hours can I?"

"I—" You don't know whether to applaud the girl for her stubbornness or slap her on the head for her stupidity. "Can't you just—oh, I don't know—not go to the party?"

"That won't work," she grumbles. "He'll just throw more parties."

"Then get a fake girlfriend! Why does it need to be in a twenty-four-hour deadline anyways? From the looks of it, you can just skip tonight's party! Tell him you got a girlfriend and what not. Figure out the logistics tomorrow or something."

"That's... actually pretty smart," she says dumbfoundedly and you can't help but chuckle. When you signed up to be a police officer, you didn't think helping a rich kid rebel against her parent would be in your list of tasks.

"You really should've thought twice before flinging yourself headfirst into a jail cell."

"I was desperate okay!"

"Clearly," you mutter under your breath, but she hears it crystal clear from how her frown deepens. You sigh and give her a smile. "Well, good luck to you and your endeavors with searching for a fake girlfriend. I'm sure lots of people would love to volunteer. But I need to go now. So, enjoy the rest of your evening, Ma'am."

You try to walk away again, but she stops you. Again. This time she's a tad bit closer to you, and you can faintly smell mint. You try to squash down the blush coming up your face. She holds your wrist in a death grip. Her eyes look really determined, and to be honest, you're kind of scared of her right now.

"What's your name?"

"Uh." It's at this moment that you start fiercely praying to God that she won't sue you in any way. "It's Kim Minjoo."

"Give me your number."

"I—What?"

"You know what I'll just do it myself."

She grabs your phone from your pocket, and how the fuck did she even knew it was there in the first place? She opens your phone and only to see it locked. She grabs your finger to unlock it and quickly goes to contacts. You're way too shocked at the turn of events to do anything really. You just dumbly watch her as she types in her number and calls herself. When she gives back your phone, you finally managed to snap yourself out of the stupor.

"This is highly inappropriate and very much illegal you know," you say unapprovingly as you take it back. She's too busy saving your number to notice the frown on your face.

"Well, you better get used to it. Because I get what I want one way or another.” She pockets her phone before adding another word. She looks at you solidly in the eye and there's a really attractive smirk on her face. You don't think it's fair. "Always."

You want to scoff at how dramatic she's being. But your cheeks are rosy and you think you're the most confused you've been this in this whole exchange.

"You talk as if I'm going to see you again."

"Oh, but you are.” She gets up into your space yet again. The smell of mint is even stronger now. Mixed with something else. You can't put a finger on it. You guess it's a smell distinctively hers, like how everyone has their own smell. You wonder what it says about you when you're already noticing things like this about her. You are _not_ about to have a crush on a stranger you've met for 30 minutes.

(But then again, since when does your heart listen to you? It didn't listen when you told it to not fall in love with Yujin. Look where that ended up.)

“Say hello to your new girlfriend, Kim Minjoo." She smirks and what the fuck did she just say?

"I—Wha—Girlfriend—You—" You sputter about in pure and utter confusion. When you see the knowing smirk on her face, you're reminded of the conversation a few minutes ago. And oh my god this girl just might actually be crazy.

People don't just make a stranger that they've only met for a few minutes into their girlfriend. Unless you're Kim Chaewon apparently. You see her eyes and you just know that you're not getting out of this. A part of you doesn't, and a part of you is just screaming to get the fuck out of there. But your feet stay planted firmly on the pavement. You sigh and look up to the sky.

You wonder if God is playing tricks on you or something. Today, you come to work expecting a lot of things. Expecting things to be the same ole job with the same ole people. You didn't expect you would end the day with a brand-new position and a new girlfriend to boot. Well, fake girlfriend.

 

(

Driving around the neighborhood is always relaxing. People walking around with their dogs. A stupid idiot there and a sensible friend here. It's amusing and frankly, you don't think you'll ever get tired with it. Sure, there are some long days. Like today, where there's absolutely nothing going on and everyone seems to have magically disappeared into thin air. But you don't really mind. Nothing happening means that everything is peaceful. You rather have it peaceful than otherwise.

You've stopped at a diner in the corner of the neighborhood. Probably the only place in this area where the prices are reasonable. Curse the bourgeoisie and their need to excessively flaunt their opulence. The restaurants here are practically all five stars. At least, their prices are. Some of their actual food is... a bit iffy to say the least.

You would know because Chaewon took you to one before. You really rather just make food yourself, and you tell her just that after dinner. Which results in a high-frequency of her appearing in your tiny apartment. And for the most part, she does agree that your cooking is way better.

It's time for lunch break, and you can't wait to get yourself a big sandwich. You're absolutely starving. You had skipped breakfast this morning. A big thanks to your alarm not going off. Rushing into the station barely on time feels a whole lot more pointless when nothing happens during the patrol. You kind of wish you took the extra time to eat some bananas at least. Well, no use crying over spilled milk when there's fresh milk in front of you.

"Can I get a chicken sandwich?"

“Sure thing. That'll be 4 dollars and 50 cents.” You hand the money over to the cashier. "Thank you! Your order will be done in a few minutes."

You take the seat near the window and open your phone. Not that there are any notifications though, you think. You've been opening your phone frequently enough during the day. When there's nothing to do, what else can you do but open your phone? You weren't slacking off. You were just texting back your friends' (un)urgent messages. But to your surprise, there is one notification. And from Kim Chaewon nonetheless.

She asks you where you are and you tell her truthfully. No point in lying anyway. You glance at the contact name she had saved for herself back when she stole your phone. It equally brings you amusement and cringe all at the same time. 'Pretty Girlfriend Kim Chaewon'. It's somehow totally her in the way that she's always so haughty and confident. But you think you have a better name for her. So, you quickly change the contact to 'Tiny Whiny Kitty'. You snicker at your amazing sense of naming.

_‘Okay'_ she replies back and you're sitting there trying to figure out what she means by _okay_.

_‘Okay? You gotta be more specific than that, Princess.'_ You had started calling her that one day, and she doesn't seem to mind. Plus, you like calling her that so the nickname just stuck.

_‘You'll see in a bit ;)’_

She sends you a winky face and you just know that she's going to do something. That something either resulting in you talking her out of it or resulting in one pissed off Mr. Kim. You brace yourself for either of them. It's going to exhaust you nonetheless.

True enough to her words, Chaewon comes through the doors of the diner a few minutes after. To be more precise, after you've taken the first bite to your chicken sandwich, and the bite that you are now choking on. You quickly gulp down water and breathe air again. You swear she will be the death of you one day. You take another look at her and yeah, you weren't just hallucinating the ten bodyguards behind her. She may be the heir and what not, but ten just seems a bit excessive. And it looks like you're not the only one thinking that.

"I told you I'm just meeting my girlfriend!” She hisses at the bodyguards following her. You try to ignore how your heart skipped a beat when she says that. "Must you come all the way here and ruin my day?"

"But your father had said—"

"Does it look like I care about what my father says? I am going to own the company. I _am_ the one who runs the company right now. I fucking write all of your paychecks. And if you want to keep your jobs, I suggest you leave me alone.” She hisses through gritted teeth.

Well, she is full-on lioness mode. You look on in amusement as those grown men practically twice her size tremble in fear. She still looks like a kitty to you though. Maybe it's cause you've seen her actually whine like a baby when you had refused to give her a lift using your patrol car. Which by the way is one hundred percent illegal—at least, you think it is. And if not, then you're pretty sure you're going to be at least breaking a few dozen regulations.

(She gets to ride it anyway. You don't think you can refuse her.)

She keeps on glaring at them as they leave with their tails between their legs. You take another bite of your sandwich and pity them. Yeah, you know the feeling. When Chaewon says that she'll always get what she wants, she wasn't kidding. And you learned that the hard way. After all, even after a month or so, you're still here pretending to be her girlfriend.

You swallow the bite and make your way to her. You wrap an arm over her shoulder. Pulling her close and giving her a kiss on the head. Your thumb making circles on her shoulder to comfort her. You realize that there's no point in doing stuff like this. You're only her girlfriend in front of her dad, paparazzi, and other people involved with her. None of those people are here. The bodyguards just left and there's almost no one else in this quiet diner. You still do it, and she doesn't say anything.

You settled down back on your seat with Chaewon sitting next to you. She idly plays with your officer hat. The one you had taken off earlier. You look at her curiously.

“So? What's up?"

She stops playing with your hat and looks at you confused. You only look back at her with the same confusion. Didn't she come here with a plan to piss off her dad or something? It wasn't for the bodyguards that's for sure. She could handle that by herself. Clearly.

"Didn't you come because you needed something from me?"

"No, not really.” She shrugs as she steals some of your fries. "I just... wanted to see you I guess."

You're suddenly at loss for words, because what are you supposed to reply to that? You feel a blush coming up your neck and continue to munch on your sandwich. You see a blush on her face too, and really, everything is becoming much and much more complicated every time they meet. She tries to act nonchalant about all of this, but you think you know her well enough to know that she is, in fact, not calm at all.

You avoid her eyes, and she avoids yours too. But your hands are linked under the table. You don't think of the implications of what it means. You'll have plenty to think about that at two am in the morning. Right now, her hands are warm and you think yours are a bit cold.

(They're not. She thinks your hands are the warmest. Enough to warm her chest.)

 

(You want complicated. You want her to be more precise. And you're starting to think that the lines between fake girlfriend and a real one is beginning to blur.)

 

)

 

//

 

Friday night. You were supposed to be already in your jammies. A nice hoodie and comfortable pants. You would eat snacks and watch re-runs of whatever movie they're showing on tv. Unwind from a day's work. And then go to sleep with Mr. Cuddles in your arms. Thinking of a warm body in the meanwhile.

(Yes, you still like to have your stuffed animal with you. And no, Mr. Cuddles does not appreciate the slander. Nor does he know that you think of Chaewon whenever you hug him nowadays. Don't tell him.)

At least, that was the plan. But when Kim Chaewon shows up at your doorstep all frazzled and furious and curses out extremities at her dad, you know your plans just got flushed down the toilet, into the sewage, and out into the ocean where it's never seen again. You suppose it's fine though. An evening with Chaewon beats any other plans you could've made. Though her current state is a bit alarming.

After calming her down sufficiently, you find out that her dad had arranged a party without her knowing. Guess who just found out the news literally an hour ago?

"I swear to god if he wasn't my father, I would've sued him ages ago. Don't underestimate my law degree. I will win that fucking lawsuit," she angrily spits out. You did say sufficiently, not completely calm her down.

"Okay, well, what are you going to do now? Are you gonna blow it off or what?"

"I'm not going of course. What the fuck was he thinking? Did he thought by keeping it a secret would just magically make me—Wait a second!” She gasps in realization, and you're wondering what epiphany she had just now. She looks at you with determined eyes tinted with mischief. You start mentally preparing yourself. "You should come with me! To the party!"

"Um—"

"This is a brilliant idea!” She starts to walk to and fro in front of the couch. "My father knows that I have a girlfriend. He probably also knows what you look like from all the useless paparazzi that follows me around. But now, I can actually introduce you to him! In person! Oh God, I can just imagine the look on his face when I do! No more suitors! No more heterosexual men who only wants my money!"

You chuckle at her enthusiasm. She's so excited to deliver a 'fuck you' to her dad in the form of one Kim Minjoo that you're not really bothered by the fact that she's using you. Also, you've been wanting to spite her dad for a long time now and this is the perfect opportunity to do just that. You agree to her plan readily enough. But it soon opens another problem. You don't have anything to wear to the party.

Chaewon says it's a formal party. Which means you have to be wearing some fancy shit, right? Dresses and bows, and suits and ties. You have exactly none of those. But the party is in two hours, and you're this close to just wearing your Class A uniform instead. Which is not bad per se—it is a uniform specifically for formality—but it's also not quite right for this occasion. Not to mention that you're attending the party as Chaewon's girlfriend, not a police officer.

With your closet raided and still coming out empty handed, she drags you off to a specialized store for suits and tuxedos. You look at her confused, and the only explanation she gives you is that her girlfriend has to look more handsome than those shitty suitors. You're satisfied with that answer. Besides, you think you look pretty awesome in a suit anyway.

(She had her back turned, so, you miss the furious blush on her face as she says it.)

It's your fifth time trying a suit out. The previous ones didn't make it for some reason. Even if you did think they look good on you. When you see the blush on her face though as she sees you fixing your cuff, you know that this is probably the one she'll get for you. You aren't wrong and she immediately buys it. You find it amusing how she's avoiding looking at you.

You have no qualms about her buying it too. You know how filthy rich she is and guesses that this probably won't even dent her wallet in the slightest. But when she tells you that you're going to keep it even after this is over, you're a bit reluctant.

"But it's so expensive I can't keep it!"

"Minjoo, let's be honest here. If I keep it, no one is going to wear that and it'll collect dust in my closet. But if _you_ keep it, then at least now you have something to wear to parties."

It makes sense and you don't have a counter-argument for that. You take your defeat gracefully and thank her for the suit. It's a bit hard to show your sincerity when she refuses to look at you in the eye.

You arrive at the venue fashionably late. You wanted to get there on time, but Chaewon wants to mess with her dad even more. So, here you are. Surrounded by paparazzi as you try to get inside the restaurant. Apparently, it's like a formal dinner party, except it’s not really dinner. More of a standing-around-in-the-middle-of-an-emptied-restaurant-and-drink-champagne kind of thing. There's still a buffet table though, but people almost don't touch it. Something about image and reputation. Whatever, you think it's stupid, and you will definitely make your home at the buffet table.

Inside the restaurant, you grimace at the sight of old men and women with way too much makeup on their faces. At least fifty percent of them are younger people. But it quickly turns into a sour thought when you realize that eighty percent of them are guys. Chaewon's suitors. Ugh, ew.

She quickly ushers you to her dad, and wow, you hadn't expected him to look this much like villain. He has the whole mustache and pot belly thing going on, and is that a monocle? Really? At this day and age? Wow, he looks like the monopoly man. Only if the monopoly man was a tyrant of a father. You kind of find it hard to take him seriously.

"Chaewon, so nice of you to come!” You can feel the barely hidden bite in his words.

"It is a party you're throwing, after all, Father.” She laughs, and you don't think you've heard someone laugh this dry before. Chaewon isn't pulling any punches and her next words come dripping with venom. "I would've dressed more prettily should I have known sooner. Too bad you hid it from me until today."

"It's a surprise, my child. Life can't always go the way you expect it, can you?" The threat is so obvious that you can't help but make a face at it. Why is everyone talking like this anyway? This ain't the nineteenth century were everyone talks while beating around the bush all the time. You just know that this is going to be a long, _long_ night.

"Is that so?” She giggles softly, and you grimace at how fake it sounds. You try to school your expression though. There are many eyes watching. "By the way, have you met Minjoo yet, Father? She's my _girlfriend_."

"Ah, yes, I've heard about your... adventures." his smile dims ever so slightly and you can see the sneer on his eyes. You want to punch him so badly. You can't though, so you do the next best thing. A giant 'fuck you' to his face.

You wrap your arm around her waist and pull her in closer. You put on your best charming smile on and put out your hand.

"Hello, sir. I've heard a lot about you from Chaewon. Can I just thank you for being so open-minded and allowing me to date her? She's the best thing that could've ever happened to me, sir. I can't imagine how anyway could treat her badly."

If one were to translate this into something more understandable, it would come out like this.

_“Hey, bitch. Chaewon talks a lot of shit about you and I agree one hundred percent. Stop being a homophobic little shit and let her date whoever she wants. I love her and you, despite being her father, don't. I hope you go to hell, dipshit."_

You flash him your best smile. She's barely hiding her snicker beside you, and you're almost positive that he's about to pass out any second from how red he is. He begrudgingly takes your hand and shakes it. Your grip on his hand is extra hard. You see him grimace for a second before schooling his face back to normal.

"Well, as joyful as this meeting is, I'm afraid I have other matters to attend to. Chaewon, we'll speak again later." He quickly dismisses himself and walks far away from both of you. When he's out of earshot, you finally let out a snicker of your own.

"Oh my god, you're amazing.” She kisses your cheek. Both to praise you and to flaunt your relationship to the suitors around you.

"What can I say? You are dating Kim Minjoo after all," you jokingly say as you also give her a kiss. You just wanted to do it.

Chaewon laughs at that and it's much, much more genuine than what escaped her mouth earlier. It brings a smile to your face too. You both enjoy the rest of the party near the buffet table. You haven't had dinner, and she's happy to accompany you stuffing your face with every single dish. Much better than talking to her suitors. You rather she doesn’t talk to them too. So, you're perfectly fine with this.

She tells you of stories and gossip about the people in attendance. You're not one to listen to gossip, but you listen to her anyway. You'll listen to her talk about anything. Well, maybe not about her work. Because she had done that before and all it did was lull you into slumber.

You're done eating now, and you horribly need to go to the bathroom. Maybe drinking three glasses of orange juice wasn't the best of ideas, but you don't regret it. She did look on in amusement as you chugged your third glass. Plus, the looks of disgust from those old prunes were worth it anyway. You don't want to leave her alone though. You know that the moment you leave her, everyone will start to swarm her like flies. It gives you a bad feeling in your stomach thinking about it. Actually, it might've been those spicy prawns you ate but whatever. The sentiment still counts.

She reassures you she'll be fine though. You know she will. She has attended hundreds of these by herself before you came with her. But it doesn't do much to ease the bad taste in your mouth. You do eventually leave her. You're not about to pee yourself in front of dozens of people. But you try to hasten your process. You don't like the thought of guys—her suitors—touching and looking at her like that. 

When you do come back from the bathroom, the sight that welcomes you is not an unexpected one. But an unpleasant one regardless. You quickly make your way to her. Zig-zagging around people and dodging arms whenever they fly unexpectedly into your path. Reaching your destination, you put yourself in between her and the hungry pack of wolfs in front of her. A hard glare in your eye.

"Do you need something from my girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend? I didn't know she had a girlfriend."

"I didn't even know she was gay."

Murmurs start amongst the crowd of men, and you try to resist the urge to roll your eyes. There are pictures of them literally all over the internet and gossip magazines. You would have to be living under a rock to not know this. Or—you know—purposefully pretending that they don't know so that they can approach her. You think it's definitely the latter with these people. She makes sigh behind you.

"To think she was a fucking dyke."

"And she's a whole babe too." Unlike the old coots in the room, they don't bother to hide their disgust and insults.

You keep glaring at them until they leave. When they do, you breathe out a sigh of relief. But then you hear them whispering and snicker about turning her straight again. The positions they would take her and really vulgar shit that you rather not think about. You wonder if they're really supposed to be the upper echelons of society when they act like this.

Right now, you don't mind risking getting fired from your job for assaulting civilians. You are going to break their bones right here and right now. Don't underestimate your police training. You don't fucking care. They fucking deserved it. You're already taking one step forward when a hand stops you. Looking back, you see her shaking her head. You also see the hurt in her eyes that she desperately tries to hide. Trying to look unaffected by their words.

"It's not worth it."

You look up to the ceiling and sigh. Trying to calm yourself down. You have better things to do anyway. Like comforting one Kim Chaewon. You step closer to her and hold her waist. A concerned look on your face. You talk to her softly.

"You okay, Princess?"

"Yeah, I'm fine.” She tries to shrug it off. "It's not like this is the first time this happened."

"You know I can just kick their ass, right? They don't stand a chance against me."

"While that would be amusing to watch," she chuckles and caresses your cheek softly. "I don't want you in jail. Nor do I want you getting fired from your job."

"Would totally be worth it though. Just saying." A smile surfaces on your face too. Because she's smiling and you tend to get infected by it easily.

"My knight in shining armor," she jokes and you both chuckle at that.

You don't know where you got the courage from. You don't know where the thought even came from. But when you look at her with all smiles at you and hidden pain behind her eyes, you can't help but ask. Maybe it's precisely because of the hurt in her eyes. Maybe you just wanted to erase it. Maybe it's just because of the way she's smiling so softly at you. Or maybe it's all of it.

"Can I kiss you?"

You see the startle on her face, and you almost immediately regret asking it. You're about to take back your words, but then she nods. Now, you're just a bit high from all of the roller coaster of emotions that you've experienced in the span of five minutes. You don't waste your time though and quickly close the distance.

Everything feels so right and soft. It's light yet heavy at the same time, and you don't think you can accurately describe what you're feeling right now. You just feel like floating on cloud nine right now. It short and sweet, and it leaves you wanting more. When she pulls away, you give her another short kiss. You can't stop grinning like an idiot.

You can't stop grinning even when you've gone home. It doesn't disappear even until you’re in bed. You go to sleep thinking of soft lips and warm embraces.

 

//

 

You come home to your apartment after a long day at work. Chief Haseul trusted you enough to help assist the of capturing of one Ha Sooyoung. You heard from somewhere that she was her ex-wife. You don't dare to open that can of worms. You may be close with your boss, but you're not _that_ close.

Only to see her lazily sitting on your couch. Eating the ice cream you had stored your fridge. There's a movie about the famous boy wizard on the television. You want to ask her how the hell did she even get in. As far as you remember, you had never given her the spare key to this place. But you're way too distracted by the hoodie she's wearing. It's yours.

"What? It's comfy," she simply says when she notices where you're looking.

You have a lot of questions in your head. Did she go through your closet? Did she wear every single one of your hoodies to check which one was the comfiest? Wait a second, isn't that your favorite hoodie? You haven't washed that from yesterday. Did she just take it from your bed and just thought it was decent enough to wear? But you don't voice any of it. Instead, you take off your hat and just sit next to her. Almost immediately she snuggles up to you. Your muscles relax and burrow your nose into her hair. She takes your hat off of your hands and puts it on her lap.

"Long day?"

You just sigh as a response. She gives you a kiss on your neck. Partly because it's the nearest thing her lips can get to. Partly because it's her favorite spot to kiss you. You don't really remember when it started happening. But you're not about to tell her to stop now.

 

(

You think it started after the time at the diner. After you had first kissed her without anyone to witness it—the employees of the diner don't count. At first, it was a kiss to the cheek in front of the paparazzi. You don't bat an eye to that. She's done that before. But then she kisses your cheek again after they had left and now, you're slightly bewildered.

You go home while holding your cheek. You don't break out of that daze until you’re in bed in the middle of the night. In which you immediately squeal and incomprehensible words escape your mouth. You grin and resolve yourself to savor the feeling because you're not too sure if it'll happen again. You rewind the moment again and again in your head. Hoping to sear it into your brain.

You're wrong though. Because it does happen again, and you're caught off guard this time too. She kisses you again and this time it's on your jaw. You want to jump up and down and scream to the world that heck yes Kim Chaewon just kissed you again. The world wouldn't be so impressed though. There are pictures of you kissing each other floating around. But this is different! There's literally not one soul here besides the two of them. Here being your apartment.

You hug her tightly and give her a kiss too once you've snapped out of your stupor.

She first kisses your neck when you were cooking for the two of you. At that point, it had become customary for Chaewon to come over for dinner at least twice a week. You were making some fried rice with kimchi when you hear the soft pitter patter of her feet coming closer. She hugs your waist, and with some difficulty, rests her head on your shoulder.

You suppose the whole fake girlfriend thing help with how comfortable you are with each other. Because having to fake date someone involves a lot of touching and it has to be in a way that makes you look like a couple. That would be very hard if you're not comfortable with the other person. Now, touching each other like this had become the norm.

A rational part of you thinks it's only because of the force of habit. At this point, you can't really count the number of times you've spend pretending to be a couple for the public and her dad. But a hopeful part of you thinks that she's doing it because she does like touching you. Much like how you like touching her.

"What's for dinner?"

“Something simple. You fine with that?"

"I like everything you make.” She snuggles into your hair and subsequently, to your neck. Her nose grazing lightly at the skin there. Your whole body heats up and you know it's not from the heat of the stove. "It's fine."

"Cool," you lie straight out of your teeth because you know for a fact that nothing about this situation is cool. You're about a hair's breadth away from combusting. And when she does kiss your neck, you're about almost certain you're going to die.

)

 

"What about you, Princess? You seem tired too."

"Besides the endless paperwork I have to deal with on the daily?” She tiredly sighs. You shift in your position so that she lies comfortably on your chest and on your lap. She seems to like it whenever you baby her so you try to do it more often.

"How about your dad? Was he being a jerk today too?"

"When is he never a jerk?” You can't see it but you're positively sure that she's rolling her eyes. "But he's finally starting to realize that I'm not going to leave you. God, _finally_. He's been nagging about breaking up with you a lot less nowadays. Less suitors he invites too."

How nonchalantly she says it makes your heart race, and you're glad that she's on your right side and not on your left side. But the fear of her hearing your heartbeat is still there nonetheless. Not leaving you? What does that mean? Does she see both of you as a couple now? Like an actual real couple? Or Is she talking about it metaphorically? You don't think you used the word metaphorically correctly, but you're too busy panicking to care about that. When you said you wanted complicated, this was _not_ what you were thinking.

"That's good," you say after a beat. Hoping to hide your slow descent into insanity from her.

You both stay quiet after that. She goes back to watching the movie and eating the ice cream. You, however, are stuck in spiraling down a rabbit hole known as 'Does she love me? Or does not?'. You try to think of your past interactions with each other. Both of you have definitely gone far from when you first met. You could safely say that she's one of your closest friends now. But is she more than that now? Are you more than that to her? You certainly do want to be more with her. There are signs that she wants to be more than friends-who-fake-date with you. But then again you never know. Who knows maybe she's only—

"You're thinking way too loud," she deadpans while poking your cheek. You didn't notice her moving her head. You must've been really deep into your thoughts.

"I'm not—" you try to deny her. But when you see the look she gives you, you quickly give up. She can see through you anyway. You sigh. "Just a lot in my mind I guess."

"About?"

You contemplate telling her the truth. Telling her just how much she owns your heart. How after months of being with her, it made you realize how she's the one you want to hold in your arms. How much you just want to kiss her on the lips even with no cameras or eyes around to watch. How afraid you are to ruin the precariously balanced thing that is your relationship. How you aren't sure if she wants the same thing as you or not, and how it scares you to death thinking that she might not.

You don't do that. You don't say a word about that. It's impossible. You can't do it.

"My boss, Haseul.” You avoid her eyes. "I had to arrest her ex-wife. She's a good friend of mine. I'm worried about her."

You can feel her gaze drilling holes to your head. She regards you intensely for a few moments, and you're absolutely positive that your hands are sweating now. It isn't until a beat later that she calls you out in a soft voice.

"Liar."

"Wha—I'm not—" You widen your eyes and whip your head to her.

"You never look into my eyes when you lie," she calmly explains to you.

You say nothing. What can you tell her? You grimace and turn your head away from her again. You should've known better than to try and lie to her.

"You idiot, I'm not going to leave you.” She cups your face and makes you look at her. There's something in her eyes that looks eerily similar to love and affection, and you wish on every single star in this cosmos that you're not wrong. They don't let you down.

Chaewon kisses you on the lips, and just like that, all your worries disappear into thin air. You would describe how it feels to kiss her. But you've attempted many times before in your mind, and none of them quite feels adequate enough to describe it. Words can never do it justice you think. You try again anyway.

It's like the hot chocolate you drink after a cold day outside. The hot chocolate your dad makes when winter is a tad bit harsh on everyone. The hot chocolate that you always make for yourself when you miss home. You think it feels something like that. Like drinking that hot chocolate. There are nostalgia and familiarity at every second of it, yet something new and exciting at the same time. Your chest feels heavy for all the right reasons and nothing can compare.

Her kisses always leave you a bit dazed. It doesn't really matter if there are eyes watching you or not. Though, there is a different feeling to it when you're alone together. Good different. Very good in fact.

Neither of you talks about it afterward. Content on just leaving it there. You know that there's still much to talk about. That you should probably discuss the future. But you think it's fine. For now, it's fine. Things with her are not as complicated as you thought.

You're starting to think that it's pretty simple actually.

 

//

 

It was just your regular patrol. Driving through here, help an old lady there, and generally being a good cop. It goes a bit wonky when Kim Chaewon decides you're a better entertainment for her than those formal parties, but you're able to do your job regardless. It is your dream job after all. It has been since you were a tiny little girl with a sheriff as your dad. You wanted to be like him. A good and upstanding cop that everyone in the neighborhood loves.

Right now, though, you're doing the literal opposite of being a 'good and upstanding cop', but you don't regret it. You didn't even hesitate in making this decision. In a truly un-Kim Minjoo like fashion, you ditched your job and went home with a girl in your arms.

Okay, that sounds very bad and very immoral. First of all, it's not just 'a girl'. It's Chaewon and she is not just some plain ole girl to you. At this point, you're convinced that she practically owns every single inch of your heart. You don't mind of course. You also know you're very much in love with her too. It doesn't scare you as much as you thought it would. Second of all, what you’re doing here is very moral and absolutely the right thing to do. In your mind at least. No, Chaewon is not drunk. Nor is she injured. Well, at least not physically.

When you saw the normally haughty and arrogant girl crying in the middle of the park at 7 pm, there was no doubt in your mind about what to do. You race to the nearest convenient store. Just barely below the speed limit—you may love this girl but you're not about to become a criminal for her. Okay, that's a lie you would totally be a criminal for her. After all, you were seconds away from decking everyone's face at that party. Plus, her car rides in your patrol car already counts as illegal.

Once there, you practically buy every single sweet snack and ice cream your wallet allows you. Granted being an officer does not bring in the mullah, as they say, but hopefully enough to comfort your crying girlfriend(?)—you haven't really talked about that yet. You buy extra mint chocolate ice cream. It may taste like toothpaste, and honestly, should not be consumed by humans, but the girl likes it. You're willing to buy her anything as long as it'll make her smile.

You're about sling the plastic bags over to the passenger seat when you realize that it probably isn't a good idea. So, you put the plastic bags down carefully instead. You hurry back to the park and you think you went over the speed limit this time—only for ten seconds though, and then you realize your mistake. You park the patrol car in the parking area and practically sprint over to her. And when you reach her, you're proud to say that you didn't sweat nor run out of breath.

"Minjoo?” She confusedly calls out to you.

"Hello, Princess. Your knight in shining armor has come to save the day!” You grin at her. Hoping that your words would bring a smile to her lips. And it does, albeit a small one. You count it as a victory nonetheless.

"Yeah? And what has she come to save me from?" Chaewon says as she wipes her tears away. At least they've stopped.

"That I still don't know.” You kneel in front of her and take her hands into your own. "But I do know that my damsel is in distress. And what kind of knight would that make me if I don't comfort her?"

"I am not a damsel," she bites out, but it's much less threatening when there's a smile on her lips.

"You're right. What kind of damsel deliberately wants to go to jail?” You laugh out.

"God, when will you ever let that go?"

"Never.” You kiss the back of her hand. Which results in a very red Kim Chaewon. You chuckle and stand up from your position. You think you've succeeded the first step of the mission. Get her mind off whatever is plaguing it. You'll ask her about it later. For now, you just want her to smile. "You're still my princess though. And as my princess, do you want to ride my horse?"

"That sounds _so_ wrong."

"Wait! I didn't mean it like that!"

"I know, you dork."

The ride back to your apartment is a silent one. You focus on trying to get there the quickest you can without breaking any laws, and she focuses on munching the chocolate chips you had bought for her. She looks a tad less sad than before. You try to speculate what could've gotten her so sad. Enough to make her cry, and you know there are few things in this world that can make her shed tears. Your chest aches from worry. You never like it when she's sad.

(You would do anything to keep her happy, and you're not kidding. You've once gone all over town just to buy her a really specific snack she wanted. Said it reminded her of mom. Who are you to deny her that?)

You glance at her from time to time, but ultimately keep your mouth shut. She's too busy looking out the window anyway. A forlorn look on her face. When you stop at a red light, you take off your hat and put it on her head instead. She immediately looks you and you just grin. She grips on your hat and gives you a big smile. It still doesn't quite reach her eyes though. You don't know why she has a certain obsession with your hat, but it makes her happier so you don't really question it.

(An obsession that you've only realized recently. You had been napping on your couch when you had realized the small body on top of you had disappeared. You look around your apartment and find her in your bedroom. Sleeping soundly in your sheets, and your officer hat on her head. You don't really know what to think of it. So, you just slip into bed and spoon her from behind. Soon, you're back to dreamland.)

(But if you think about it really deeply, you notice how she's always touching your hat every time she can get her hands on it. Whether just playing with it or just putting it on her lap.)

Back at your apartment, you both change into more comfortable clothes before snuggling up in front of the tv. There's currently another marathon re-run of the franchise with the famous boy wizard. One of your favorites, and apparently, one of hers too. She's sitting next to you with a bowl of the devil's ice cream in her lap. You fashion yourself with a bag of chips instead.

You still don't ask her anything. It's only after the second movie ends when she speaks up.

"You're not going to ask?"

"Not if you don't want me to."

She hums and goes back to watching the movie. You don't think she is though. Her eyes are unfocused. She's probably thinking. About what? You can only guess. You don't get to guess for long though. Because, a few minutes later, she starts talking again.

"It's my mom's anniversary," she quietly says. You hug her a bit tighter. She had told you about her before. In one of her weakest moments. "I went to her grave today."

You give her a kiss on the head. Your hands rubbing up and down her arm. You feel her resting her head on your shoulder. You can feel it getting damp and your chest feels like it's being pricked by a thousand needles.

"No one else went there. Not even father." Her voice starts to crack. "Not a single flower for her besides mine. Did he even love her?"

You can't answer that. You don't know what happened in their family, and you certainly cannot read minds.

"But you did, didn't you?" is what you say instead.

"I did. I loved her so much," she laughs out in tears. Her hands clutch on to your sweater. "Did you know she was a cop too? Well, a detective really. She was really cool you know. Just like you."

"I'm cool?"

"Depending on the time.” She chuckles, and you chuckle with her. You know you can be very uncool at times. But you're honored that she thinks that you can be as cool as her mom. You know much much she highly regards her. And suddenly, it all makes too much sense why she likes your hat so much. “She would solve all kinds of mysteries. Kick ass and take names. When I was a kid, she would always tell me stories about it. How she would beat the bad guy.

"Father never liked her job. Too dangerous he said. Back then, he was still a halfway decent guy. He was actually nice. We were a happy family," she smiles in remembrance. Thinking back to when she was a child. Back when she knew nothing of the horrors of the world. Her smile drops. "But then one day, the bad guy beat mom instead of the other way around. She left for work and just never came back. Father was never the same. I don't think I am either."

"At least you didn't become an asshole like him."

"I guess.” She laughs lightly. "As much as I say I hate him now. I can't truly really hate him. Not completely. Because I think he still cares for me in his own twisted sense. He just wants the best for me. Even if he doesn't have an ounce on what it is. I think he's just... trying to live life the best way he can."

"Doesn't seem like he's trying enough."

"I agree.” She sighs. "Father hates change. Maybe that's why it's so hard for him to adjust."

You wonder how she had grown up with such a father and still end up a decent human being. Perhaps with a slightly skewed common sense, but that's to be expected from children who grew up with riches. Perhaps she had to grow up all on her own. Perhaps she had another person who helped her. Regardless, you're grateful she did turn out this way.

"You're the strongest person I know," you tell her softly. She looks up at you.

"Um, I'm not the one who can beat people up."

"Not that kind of strong.” You knock your head softly to hers. "You had to grow up without her and with him. I don't think anyone else could've turned out like you."

"I wanted to be just like her.” She softly smiles. Resting her head against yours. “Strong, smart, and brave. Maybe that's why."

"I should thank your mom then. For raising such a wonderful daughter."

"Hmmm," she hums before chuckling softly. "Maybe you should come with me next year. I think she would've loved to meet you."

When she tells you that, you don't know what to say. You don't really know how to feel. Touched? Even more honored? Ecstatic? All of the above? Your words are clogged in your throat, and you feel what scarily feels like tears stinging your eyes.

"Yeah?” You manage to choke out.

She hums in confirmation, and the only form of response you think of is a tighter embrace and a kiss. So, you do just that. God, you love her so much. Thank the heavens for letting you have her.

"I love you too," she softly whispers against your lips, and you can't help but freeze for a second.

"Did I say that out loud?"

She laughs and nods. You can feel the embarrassment creeping up on you. That was not how you were planning of declaring your love for her. To be honest, you didn't even have a plan in the first place. But this was definitely not it. She doesn't let you feel it for too long though. She kisses you again and maybe it's fine like this.

You're content like this, and you like to think she is too. With her wearing your officer hat and her head snuggled on your chest, you think of a fireplace in the middle of winter. How you hope you're a fireplace for her. A reprieve from all the horrors of the world. Because she certainly is one for you. And if you're not, you can only try your best to become one.

 

(

Later on, in the middle of the night, between the hushed whispers and warm blankets, she quietly confesses to you. That you are her home. That she would do anything to keep you as her home. That you're the only one she would ever want to be her home. You hug her tighter. You'll do anything to keep her as yours too.

)


	2. Epilogue: You want to have what now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> saturday night with your girlfriend is the best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a tiny epilogue :D

A lazy Saturday evening where you both just laze around and watch movies? That sounds like the perfect evening for you. The guys at the company have been a serious pain in the ass for you, and really, you just want to get away from all of that. Curse those bastards and their constant need to sabotage you. Thank god you're smart and having exactly none of that.

Now, you're huddled up with your girlfriend on her couch. You're wearing her officer hat and a bowl of popcorn on beside you. She rests her head on your lap. her legs hanging over the couch's arms. You know that she's not _that_ tall. But it's still a bit unfair. You run your fingers through her hair with one hand and feed her popcorn with the other.

The movie is about the boy wizard again. Really, how many times are they going to re-run this movie franchise over and over again? Well, they're good movies though. So, you can't complain too much. But how is it that every time you turn on the tv, it's always his face the first thing you see? It's the end of the last movie though—if you don't count the movies around the lovable magizoologist.

You watch the scene where his son worries about becoming getting sorted into Slytherin and you're a bit miffed about that. Seeing as you're a Slytherin yourself. You glance down to Minjoo. She's definitely a Gryffindor. Or maybe a Hufflepuff. Another thought goes into your mind though, and the question escapes your lips without your permission.

"In the future, do you want your kid to be a cop like you?"

"Nah, I'd let them decide. They can be whatever they want. If they do end up wanting to be one though, it'll be more like a bonus for me," she replies, eyes still glued to the TV screen. After some blind and awkward patting, her left hand finds yours. She intertwines them together and rests them on her stomach.

"How about you?” She asks as she looks up at you. You weren't really expecting the question to be thrown back at yourself. You haven't thought of kids before. Much too busy signing paperwork and trying to keep those old coots in line. You can't really see yourself having kids anytime soon.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want them to be cops like me?" 

You look at her with a really obvious question on your face. Why would your opinion matter about that? It's her kids. She laughs softly and you still don't understand.

"Well, aren't they going to be yours too?"

_Oh._

That changes everything.

So, she wants a family with you. It's not a bad thing though. Far from it. It's probably the best thing you've heard in all your life. You could never imagine having a family with anyone other than her anyway. You can't stop smiling, and you think it looks like the one she makes every time you kiss her. Stupid and wide and you don't really care cause you're really happy right now.

"Is this your way of proposing to me, Kim Minjoo?"

"We already have the same last name anyway, Princess.” She laughs and there's so much affection in it. You smile and playfully roll your eyes. She sits up from her position and kisses you. "I'll propose to you properly later on."

"Just so you know, I will definitely say yes."

"What—you're not supposed to tell me that!” She whines and you laugh. You give her another kiss.

"You're stuck with me anyway."

"You know, when I pulled you over two years ago, I didn't think any of this would happen."

"Do you regret it?"

"Not one bit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I hope you'll comment your favorite parts in the comments! Or on twitter! @cheesyisthyname


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